The Shifting of Worlds
by MedNar
Summary: The battles are over, but scars are left behind, both mental and physical. Can these be healed if you meet who you could've been with a different father? NO SLASH. Damon's Challenge
1. Chapter 1 The Beginning

A/N: First of all, I want to say that I think there might actually be other stories somewhat like this—if only I could remember the author or the name or even the major plot! —that I've read that have rubbed off on this story. ….oh! Coexistence, by darkcyan, has Harry ending up in someone's head… of course, since I don't want to ruin the story I won't go on. Just know that I didn't really come up with that, though I've made it different then darkcyan's. I hope. Umm….

Oh! The challenge rules are really simple –that's why I did the challenge, so I don't have to have too many limits—and I flowed with them. They are:

It must be an Alternate Universe or must contain an Alternate Timeline. Severus must be Harry's father. Voldemort must not exist, or Tom Riddle did not turn evil. 

I've taken some liberties with the last one… you'll have to read to find out what they are! =D *evil cackle*

And the best part about this story is that I actually wrote out the plot (it all managed to fit nicely on the page where I printed out the challenge so I could bring it to school to start writing. Good thing my handwriting is so small.), so I have 46 handwritten pages as I type this up. There's still about a paragraph of plot left, which I can definitely expand on with no question. Except I've had a writers block on this story… but I decided to be nice, and I typed all this up so I could get the first chapter sent to someone to beta, that someone being the lovely Lerafea (formerly silv3r4ng3l)… (this is up to page 17 in my written version). 

**_Disclaimer_**: "If I owned Harry Potter, I would be doing a mutated combination of the Electric Slide, the Robot, and the Running Man at the top of Mt. Everest while making hundred-dollar-bill airplanes and cackling. Needless to say, I don't and I'm not." 

In fact, I don't even own this disclaimer. Don't remember who does, but I remember thinking it was hilarious and wanting to borrow it! –if you know who's it is, let me give credit?—I suppose I own a third of the plot—darkcyan gets the 'in-someone-elses-head' part, and Damon Rhodes gets the 'came-up-with-the-challenge-that-set-off-light-bulb' part, so that leaves me with one measly third—the computer that typed it up, the light bulb that was set up, and the sore fingers that have decided to painstakingly type this up and then FIX ALL THE TYPOS! (or most of them.)

Now go read! Let me finish typing it!

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Soft footsteps echoed off the stone walls of Hogwarts, announcing a presence that roamed in the darkest point of the night. Ebony waves that reached mid-back fell neatly against the 7th year's robes, and was tied loosely to keep it out of his face. Emerald eyes watched the deserted hallways, his left eyelid faintly puffed. The ridge-causing scar ran from the base of the famous lightning bolt scar on his forehead down over his eyelid, over his nose, and ending about two centimeters from his right jaw. 

Glasses did not hinder Harry Potter for once, allowing his green eyes to shine, though one's eyes could easily be drawn to the scars that decorated his skin -- remnants of his harsh and trying battle with Voldemort the summer before his 6th year. A sleek grace gave him a near silent step as sinew and muscle rippled slightly, hidden beneath tanned flesh. 

He projected a strong sense of confidence, along with an aura of power, someone anyone should fear. Harry froze suddenly, listening to the soft murmurs of Argus Filch to his cat, Mrs. Norris as they continued their patrol. Glancing around the suit of armor on the fourth floor, he carefully pushed open the nearest door and slipped in. A confrontation with Filch was the last thing he wanted. 

Closing the door, he did not notice as the walls shimmered slightly. Then without warning, black swarmed in front of his green gaze as darkness overcame them.

Harry slowly opened his eyes as he regained his consciousness. He glanced around the room, taking note of the white and registering it as the Hospital Wing. Suddenly aware of a close presence, his vivid green eyes turned to face the person sitting next to his bed. Harry almost began to scream, but his mouth could not register his brains orders to open. No sound escaped his body at the sight of Severus Snape, who was killed during the last battle, sitting very much alive next to his bed. 

His hands reached up to grab his head and bent over, gasping, as Harry opened his mouth to a blood-curdling scream. Severus moved forward, quickly placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, a concerned look on his face. 

Startled, Harry finally quit screaming, becoming silent as his mind registered the shock. His hands released his head as his jaw clicked shut, abruptly stopping the sound. Severus still looked concerned, and his voice was soft when he spoke.

"Harry? Are you alright?" 

A voice definitely not his own answered the man, higher than what he was used to, and a little more sarcastic.

"Just hearing voices again. This one only screamed at me though." Severus frowned slightly, but handed over a light blue potion.

"Dreamless Sleep potion," he offered, watching the raven-haired boy carefully. 

Harry watched, still trapped in shock, as his hand reached out and took the bottle, and pressed it to his lips, drinking it quickly. Minutes later, Harry slipped out of shock and into sleep as his body fell back to the bed. 

Almost immediately, a familiar scene faded into view. A tall, heavy form knocked a thinner one out of the path of a blinding green light. The dream-boy hit the ground, looking in horror at the frozen body of the man, who still had a look of determination on his face, half hidden by greasy strands of hair. The boy's grip tightened on his wand and he turned blazing green eyes onto the cloaked, laughing man who had cast the Killing Curse. A curious lightning bolt shaped scar glowed faintly on the boy's forehead as he stalked forwards, words falling like poison from his lips, voice chilling.

"This is for Severus! Goodbye Voldemort! _Accika SSSolearn!_" Neither the man nor the boy seemed to notice that the Destroy Soul curse was cast in Parseltongue, for they cried out in pain. The man fell to the ground a few seconds later, the lifeless face of Voldemort still looking shocked. 

The boy clutched his face, the faint hint of the new scar visible through his fingers. 

The dream was abruptly ended as the waking body sat up with a gasp, jerking Harry out of his sleep. The same voice from before muttered something about lousy potions as the body sleepily made his way towards a large cabinet, passing a mirror on the way. The body backtracked immediately, staring into the mirror. Harry stared as well, through eyes he could no longer control. The substantial body that seemed to be the one moving around was slightly shorter then he was used to, with the same green eyes, but shorter hair and different features. The black hair, with what seemed to be reddish auburn highlights, was cut to brush the broad shoulders. An aristocratic nose made the cheekbones and angles of the confused face sharper, with the mouth twisted into a mixture of a sneer and an open, surprised look.

Almost like a failing illusion, another body seemed to be on and around the substantial one. The mid-back length hair fell into a loose ponytail as his green eyes stared into the eyes of the other. A harsh scar cut across his face, contrasting with the unmarked flesh of the other. Harry Potter raised his hand to rub at the lightning bolt scar, and stared even more when his ghostly hand in the mirror rose. Annoyance filled his voice.

~ What the bloody blazes is going on here?!?! ~ Almost as he expected, no sound echoed in the Hospital Wing. The answer that came from the shorter boy, however, was said softly in a harsh whisper so as not to wake Severus Snape, still asleep in the chair by the bed.

"I have no idea! Who are you, and what are you doing in my head?" The ghostly Harry Potter's head jerked up in confusion.

~ You can hear me? Who are you? ~ He demanded.

"Of course I heard you. I heard you screaming earlier. Now, who are you? I did ask first." The shorter boy retorted, a scowl etched on his lips. The ghostly Harry looked faintly uncomfortable, and said the first name that came to mind.

~ Alex. ~ 

"Harry Snape." He frowned as Alex began to cough, though the other boy recovered quickly.

(A/N: Just to keep the confusion down to a minimum, Harry **POTTER** will be known as Alex from here on, and Harry SNAPE will be known as Harry. =D)

~  Erm… Hello Harry. I'm not sure how I got here. I was just avoiding my school's caretaker, when I fainted. I woke up, and found that I'm unable to move or speak, so I did the most natural thing anyone would have done. I screamed. ~  There was a slight pause as Alex frowned. ~ I'd be in your debt if you didn't tell anyone of me. I really don't want to be cast away before I can figure out what happened… ~ 

Harry examined the other form in the mirror, this 'Alex'. He shrugged.

"Fine then. I won't tell anyone of you until you want me to, alright?" 

Alex simply nodded and grinned.

~ Thanks Harry. Oh—you might be able to talk to me without saying anything out loud. You seem to think pretty loudly—I've been picking up your thoughts. If you can do it without saying anything out loud, no one will think you're nuts for talking to yourself. ~ 

Harry nodded and carefully formed a thought, sending it to Alex.

# Alex? # 

The taller boy immediately started grinning in the mirror, the scar making it look a little frightening.

~ I got that. What do you say we go back to the bed before Severus wakes? ~ 

Agreeing with a soft chuckle, Harry returned to the bed, losing sight of Alex as soon as he was out of view of the mirror. He could still feel the other's presence in the back of his mind, even as Alex yawned and settled down to sleep. Darkness overtook Harry as he fell asleep, his last thought a reminder to himself to stay away from mirrors when he could help it.

  
~~~

The next day, after a few reassuring words to Madam Pomphrey, Harry walked down the halls of Hogwarts. He had left Severus sleeping in the chair, unwilling to speak to him just yet, afraid he'd spill something about Alex. 

Speaking of which, the spirit—for that's how he'd come to think of Alex—was stirring.

# Morning Alex, # he greeted him and received a tired grunt was his reply. Harry chuckled slightly as Alex peered through the other's eyes.

~ Where're we going ~ He asked, as Harry continued walking, his feet taking one step after the next automatically.

# Slytherin common room. # 

There was a flash of surprise that traveled to Harry, though it quickly disappeared.

~ Common room? ~ Alex asked, with a tone Harry couldn't quite place. 

# Hogwarts has 4 houses, and each house has a common room that leads to the dormitories, # Harry nodded, smiling silently.  

There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Alex spoke again.

~ So, tell me about your family? ~ 

# My dad's Severus Snape, the one you saw in the Hospital Wing. My mom's Lily Snape—she works in the Ministry as an Auror. #  Harry couldn't see Alex, but he could _feel_ him blink. He could feel Alex preparing to ask another question, and slipped one of his own in instead.

# What, are you from another world or something? Everyone knows of the Snapes. # There was a pause before Alex changed the subject towards the classes. 

With a shrug, Harry answered the new questions, faint curiosity hovering in his mind.

A few Slytherins looked up as the wall slid open and Harry entered. Most turned away again, back to whatever they were doing, but two came over with wide grins on their faces. 

One was a tall, platinum blond with grey-blue eyes, his hair falling loosely above his face with the familiar Malfoy smirk hovering on his face. The other boy was a little shorter, with spiked dark brown hair and dark blue eyes that were highly amused as they studied Harry. Draco was the one who spoke.

"Pansy's looking for you Harry." The other boy spoke up, grinning mischievously.

"We sent her off to the Great hall to find you," Draco added, his lips upturned in a smirk. 

Harry groaned and tried to ignore the hysterical laughter of Alex in the back of his head.

"Blaise, how could you? I can't go in there to eat now," Harry whined as Draco laughed and slung an arm around Harry's shoulder.

"That's ok—we have Defense now anyway." Harry grinned.

"Then what are we waiting here for?" Laughing, the three headed off to the DADA classroom. Something, or rather _someone_ in the corner of Harry's mind frowned, however. Alex had stopped laughing as soon as Defense was mentioned, a sudden wave of serious and sorrow nearly swamping Harry. He shook it off, heading for the classroom with his two friends. 

The entered the classroom as Harry 'spoke' to Alex, looking around for Alex's sake.

# Our teacher's a werewolf named Remus Lupin—but don't worry, he's a great teacher and my dad makes a Wolfsbane potion for him. # Alex's voice seemed cheerful when he responded.

~ That's all right. Defense was my best subject. Do you know what we're learning now? ~ Harry took his seat before he could answer Alex, and Remus Lupin spoke up to begin the lesson. 

"Welcome back to Hogwarts, 7th years. As you'll all remember, I'm Remus Lupin. This year we're going to go straight into the Patronus. You should have at least looked at the chapter; can anyone tell me the incantation?" He looked around at the 7th year Slytherins for a volunteer. There was a moment in which no one raised his or her hand before Harry's hand rose, repeating what Alex told him when Remus called on him.

"Expecto Patronum." Remus nodded, faint surprise glittering in amber eyes.

"Correct. Anyone know what the Patronus is effective against?" There was another pause before Harry raised his hand. Remus again nodded to the boy who was the only one who offered his help. 

"Dementors and Lethifolds." Remus smiled.

"Very good. 5 points to Slytherin. Now, can anyone tell me why just casting the charm won't work?" This time, all eyes turned to Harry, who paused a minute before answering.

"You must think of a truly happy thought you have when casting it," he recited faithfully as Alex grinned slightly in his mind. 

Remus smiled faintly, flashing a set of pearly-white teeth.

"Another 5 points to Slytherin. Congratulations on your excellent answers Mr. Snape." Harry grinned slightly, listening attentively as Remus explained how to properly cast the spell. There was a suddenly bending of Harry's left pinky finger, and a wave of satisfaction struck the boy.

~Hey Harry. I think it's possible that I could perform spells or move. But I think it only works well when you let me do it, or when you're unconscious or something. I bet I could do something. ~ 

Harry grinned slightly at this, as Lupin's speech began to wind down.

# Maybe you can perform the Patronus? I think Professor Lupin thinks I've had first-hand experience. # Alex's response almost seemed forced-cheerful.

~That's good—the answers should seem like that. I've had first hand experience. As long as you give me control, I _think_ I could cast it. ~ Harry moved to stand near the front of the room with the other students as Remus shifted the desks and seats to the walls with a wave of his wand. He looked over at Harry, who simply returned the look. 

"Can you cast the Patronus?" 

Harry nodded and inhaled deeply as the rest of the students eagerly watched the area in the middle of the room. No one noticed when Alex's ghost-like form hovered over Harry for a moment as the spell was cast—no one, that is, except an observant werewolf. 

Silver erupted from 'Harry's' wand as the silvery-white thestral raced around the room, wings raised only slightly above its back. It slowed to a stop in the middle of the room, cast a slow glance around, and bowed its head to Harry before disappearing. Remus caught a flicker of pearly-white as the ghostly form disappeared, leaving the Harry he had seen for seven years and longer, though he had a confused, thoughtful look on his face. 

Remus called an end to the class, allowing them to leave for Charms. Harry left quickly, eager to talk to Alex as they headed for the next class. 

Once he was seated in a chair, with a confused Draco and Blaise at his sides, he tuned everything else out and started to question Alex.

# Isn't a Patronus something you see as protection? How did you get a thestral? They're really rare. #Alex gave a dry chuckle, his voice sounding slightly monotonous. 

~Yes, I do see threstrals as protection. There was a battle last year in my homeland, and the thestrals protected me. Some of that protection carried over here, actually. ~ When Harry pressed further and asked of the protection, Alex seemed to shake his head.

~Teacher's here. I think he's ready to start the lesson. ~ Harry sighed softly  in acceptance and turned his attention to Professor Flitwick.

The next morning, Harry, Draco and Blaise went to the Great Hall for breakfast, talking and laughing together. 

Alex looked around once they entered the Hall, looking through Harry's green gaze at the other students and tables. He heard a familiar voice scolding someone and turned to look. The eyes fell upon a bushy haired witch dressed in Ravenclaw robes, cinnamon eyes angry. The red head boy she was yelling at simply shrugged, uncaring, as she accused him of stealing and copying her homework. Severus Snape bore down on them from the Head Table, effectively silencing Hermione Granger's tirade.

"Miss Granger. That is enough. You will not lose points for your missing homework." The young Ravenclaw nodded, tightlipped, and returned to her seat, where he friends comforted her. Severus then turned his glare to Ron Weasley, who looked at him with a snobbish air around him. Severus sneered. 

"Mister Weasley. For stealing Miss Granger's homework, you shall have a detention with me this Thursday, and 50 points from Gryffindor. Now, return to your seat." Ron, with an attitude much like the Draco Malfoy that Alex was used to, took his seat at the Gryffindor table. As Severus was making his way back to the Head Table, there was an explosion behind him. Purple smoke billowed out from one seat at the Gryffindor table. All eyes turned to see Ron Weasley flushing a tomato red, which clashed horribly with his now neon-purple hair. Everyone burst out laughing, two red-headed twins at the Head table the most. 

Severus glanced behind him and moved on without saying anything, though a thin smile hovered on his face for a minute. Alex questioned Harry, still chuckling.

  
~ What just happened? ~ Harry smirked slightly as he answered.

# That was Ron Weasley, a real git. He was just pranked by his brothers, the twins seated at the Head table. Fred and George. They're our Flying Instructors. Serves him right. Hermione Granger, the Ravenclaw who was yelling at him, is smart, even for her house. #

Alex chuckled softly, shaking his head and retreated to the corner of his mind, leaving Harry to continue on his everyday life. Harry glanced at his reflection in the empty plate before him and frowned. He could still Alex, a little fainter because the plate wasn't completely mirror like, but still there. He shook his head and dropped some toast on his plate. 

Three days later was the first Potions class Harry had with Alex in his head. Harry walked in with Draco and Blaise, both of who seemed worried of their friend who kept 'dozing off' every so often. They took their seats and Harry prepared for the first instruction or question from Alex. 

Nothing. 

He waited a moment more before speaking to the spirit.

# Alex? You there? # The spirit's voice seemed to be coming from further away then usual.

~ I'm here. I'm just no good at Potions, so I won't say anything. ~ Harry stifled a chuckle.

# All right. It's a good thing I'm good in this class, isn't it? # 

Severus walked over then, serving as a reminding to start the potions. The Gryffindor-Slytherin class worked silently until Severus' harsh voice rang out.

"Mr. Weasley! You have been told time after time you must pay attention to your potion as it is simmering—and yet you still believe you can get away with doing nothing! This behavior will be stopped. You will go to Dumbledore's office tomorrow at 6 o'clock and we will find a fitting punishment. Now, clean that cauldron and put it away. I don't want to see you touch it again today." 

Ron scowled faintly, but lifted the cauldron and levitated it to the sink. Severus continued on his way, stopping by Neville Longbottom. He looked in the cauldron and nodded to the Gryffindor.

"Don't leave it on the fire too long Mr. Longbottom." He moved on, leaving Neville to calmly complete his potion.

'Well that was weird,' Alex thought, making sure that Harry hadn't heard as he quietly shook his head.

~~~Two months later.~~~

Severus Snape looked up as Remus Lupin stepped into his office. The werewolf seemed preoccupied by something even as he approached his desk. Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Remus? Is something wrong? The full moon isn't until two weeks from now." 

"What?" Remus asked, startled as he looked up. "Oh, it's not the potion. Severus—have you taught Harry any extra spells in DADA? He's known just about all the questions I asked." 

"I haven't taught anything more to Harry that what you teach," Severus replied, frowning thoughtfully. His expression was quickly mirrored by the werewolf.

"I think there's something wrong. He's been avoiding mirrors every time someone's near him. I don't like it." Severus frowned and pulled out his wand, tapping a stone that sat on his desk. He murmured something to Remus, and they sat down to wait for Harry.

Harry felt the familiar nudge in his mind, Alex 'coming forward' to look at something. His green gaze was directed down towards the stone at his wrist. It was glowing a silver color, which meant 'Office'. Harry quickly excused himself from his friends, and headed down to the potions office. Alex released a wave of nervousness, followed by a plea.

~Don't tell them of me, please! I think they're going to question you—it's a feeling I have… ~ He finished lamely, but Harry simply nodded as he continued walking.

# I don't plan to Alex, # he assured him. They reached the office and the two fell silent as Harry opened the door and stepped in. He looked at the serious expressions on the two men's faces and blinked.

"Whatever it is, I didn't do it," Harry stated, bringing his hands up defensively. Remus cracked a smile, but he still looked serious as Severus looked at his son.

"Is there something you'd like to tell us Harry?" The boy shook his head, blinking in confusion.

"No." Severus forced down a scowl and gave his proof.

"Remus tells me you know spells and curses that you shouldn't already know. You're also avoiding mirrors, and I've noticed you ignoring everything for minutes at a time. Are you sure there's nothing you want to say?" At Harry's shake of the head, Remus began to question on some of the spells that Harry knew. As the werewolf spoke, Severus discreetly summoned a full-length mirror that appeared behind the 7th year. 

Onyx eyes widened slightly as Alex appeared in the reflection. The ghostly form turned and looked at the glass. Emerald eyes widened and a scowl covered his face. He raised a transparent wand, and the glass shattered. 

Harry jumped up at the sound, turned, and caught sight of the mirror frame. He blanched. Before anything could be said, Remus fired a Dark curse at Harry. Almost instantly, there was a flicker on Harry and the scarred form covered him, deftly blocking the oncoming curse. The two fell into a duel. 

Once Remus lowered his wand, the ghostly form flickered and disappeared, leaving Harry to lower his wand. There was silence in the dungeon office as Remus and Severus stared at Harry. The boy sighed after a moment and seemed to nod to someone. 

Moments later, the boy who had dueled Remus was sitting there on the edge of the desk, surrounding Harry's body. The green eyes, so like Harry's, glazed over for a minute before looking at Remus and Severus. The voice still seemed a little like Harry's, but it had a foreign tint in it.

"I told Harry that he'd want to listen to this. I've been Alex for the last few months, ever since that day Harry was in the Hospital Wing. However, Alex isn't my real name. I don't think I can tell you my real name yet—for all I know, he might be evil or something. I have a theory, however, that this is an Alternate Universe formed by a choice in my world, or vise versa. For example, in my world, Harry Snape doesn't exist. Lily Evans married another man, not a Snape. There's a half-blood as a rising Dark lord who was just recently killed. The Slytherin house is basically seen as evil, except for a few people who see past the prejudice. There are probably several other differences I just haven't figured out yet, or just can't tell you. So… now that you know what I am and how I'm here, you can do what you want with me." He spread his hands slightly and waited for them to decide what to do. His eyes glazed over as he held a conversation with Harry. Severus turned to Remus.

"I don't know Remus, he seems rather suspicious to me. After all, he's been here for two months and hasn't told us." Remus shrugged.

"Ah, but you must realize, he didn't do anything harmful or suspicious during that time either. Also, you saw all the curses and counter curses used in that duel. His power level is high; if he wanted to harm something, he could've done so before. Besides, Harry likes him. I say we should accept him." 

Severus glanced over at the ghostly Alex and sighed in resignation.

"Alright. Alex?" The boy turned to look at him. 

"If you'll promise not to come out unless needed or if Harry relinquishes control, I don't mind you inhabiting my son's body. I would, however, like to see if we can find a way of getting you your own body." Alex bowed slightly in acceptance and his form flickered out, leaving Harry to grin at his father and godfather before heading back to the common room.

Harry was eating breakfast the next morning when he had to drop his fork and grab his head, wincing, as Alex began to scream profound curses at the tall man who had just entered the Hall. 

"You ok Harry?" Blaise asked, leaning over with a concerned expression on his face. The other boy replied through clenched teeth.

"Just a bad headache. It'll pass." Blaise returned to his meal slowly, sending concerned glances Harry's way every now and then. Harry managed to break into Alex's tirade.

~ --you bloody -- ~ Alex ranted, sounding furious.

# Alex! Calm down! It's ok! # Harry interrupted, trying to sooth the spirit.  Alex responded angrily, though he seemed a little calmer.

~How can you let him in here?!?~ He demanded, but only received a faint wave of confusion from Harry in response.

# That's Tom Riddle, the Minister of Magic. He's Dumbledore's great-grandson or something like that. # There was silence from Harry, along with an abrupt lack of anger. Confused, Harry looked on the reflective metal of his goblet and grinned—the other boy had fainted. With a shrug, he returned to eating his breakfast and trying to convince Draco and Blaise he was fine.

Harry went to Severus again that night to talk. All of a sudden, his father changed the subject.

"I think you should tell Professor Dumbledore about Alex." Alex jerked awake from his light doze and spoke to Harry.

~ No! I knew him well in my own time and world; I don't want him to see me like this and be suspicious of me. ~ Alex pleaded. 

Harry relayed the words to Severus, who frowned slightly, but didn't press it. Alex came out at Harry's permission, looking at Severus.

"Who's Sirius Black?" The older man grinned slightly.

"Black's a well known author of DADA books. Seems to really like his job." Alex blinked.

"Really? In my world he was an innocent fugitive. He was framed for murder and finally cleared, after his death." Severus shrugged slightly. Alex glanced towards the desk and the bubbling potion and grimaced faintly.  
  


"I'll let you finish your potion now…" With a faint shudder, he turned back to Harry, who grinned and ran off for a game of chess with Draco. 

  
~~~

Harry flipped through a large volume, scanning the pages for anything that might help with their situation. Alex watched carefully to see if there was anything Harry missed. The book was soon pushed away to join the growing pile of books as another was pulled over and opened. Harry yawned. They had been looking in the library for several days, but to no avail. 

~ Wait! ~ Alex exclaimed suddenly. Harry instantly stopped turning the pages as the other boy fell silent in thought for a minute.

~ Turn back a few pages please. It was something on how to give a spirit a body; it just might work. ~ Alex ordered and Harry obediently flipped the pages back, skimmed over the page, and grinned.

# I think it should. You seem to have most of the symptoms of the spirits this spell was made for. Should we try it? # Alex's voice was determined.

~As soon as we can. ~ With a small smile, Harry began to read the directions.

Harry lifted the cauldron off the fire and placed the final touches on the small table that sat next to his bed, sprinkling the Unicorn water over it. He spoke to Alex as the potion cooled.

# So why the Unicorn water again? # Alex's voice came back, somewhat cranky.

~ It acts as the Muggles' Holy water, keeping other spirits from taking the body meant for me. I think the potion's ready. Are you? ~ He asked, preventing Harry from asking another torrent of questions. In response, Harry grinned slightly and bottled the potion, putting some in a goblet and raising it to his lips.

# Yeah. Are you? #

~ Go ~ He tilted his head back and swallowed the silvery blue potion. It flowed down his throat. There was a sudden burning feeling that spread all over his body, from the tips of his toes to the top of his skull. Alex's frantic voice broke through his thoughts, sounding pained.

~ The spell! Cast the spell! ~ Harry grabbed his wand with numbing fingers, gasping out the incantation. There was a sharp flash of pain, and a blinding light that flared in front of Harry's eyes, frightening him.

 As it cleared, he felt a peculiar emptiness in his head. His forehead creased slightly in a frown until his vision cleared, and he glanced over at the presence he felt in the room. He blinked. The body he had grown used to seeing as a ghost form over his own stood a few steps away from him. 

The taller boy looked down at his hands, running calloused pads over thin, raised scars, and lifted his emerald gaze to meet Harry's. Now that the green gaze wasn't only half there, he could spot soft flecks of gold and cold flecks of onyx deep in the green. The voice that spoke was low and hoarse, faintly husky, and incredulous, with a cautious undertone that seemed to be a reflex.

"This is my _own_ body Harry… I was expecting a different one…" He rasped as Harry smiled, though his eyes flickered along the jagged scar that ran across Alex's face.

"Maybe we should go see Dad and Remus," he offered. 

Alex nodded, following Harry as he led the way out the door down towards the Potions Master's office. He reached down towards his right leg and grinned slightly as he stood back up, quickly catching up to Harry with only a few long strides.

----

Severus and Remus looked up from their discussion when there was a knock on the door. 

"Come in," Severus called out. The door swung open and admitted two 17 year olds. They automatically placed Harry, but the boy behind him drew their attention. He walked with a quiet, sleek grace, though is posture was guarded. His clothes were black, with a loose cloak draped over a glossy silk shirt and plain black pants. Remus met the green eyes, and nearly recoiled at the intensity of his gaze. Pain, haunted days, joy, sorrow, happiness—all this was hidden behind a cold, determined stare, with maturity and age like a cloak around him. Severus, however, seemed not to notice this. 

"Alex?" 

Remus watched the intense gaze light, flickering to the Potions Master. The old, dark aura was covered with a happy, carefree air. The werewolf was not fooled, but said nothing.

"Yeah? That's me." His glance flickered to Remus before returning to Severus. The tall man smiled slightly.

"Can I assume you'd like to finish your schooling? From what you told us, you weren't done yet." A slight grin tugged at Alex's face, after a glance to Harry standing at the side.

"It would be appreciated sir," he responded, reaching up to brush away an ebony strand. 

"You'll need a last name and a history, as well as a reason for transferring," Remus said, still studying the boy intently. Three pairs of eyes turned to look at Severus and the man scowled.

"Why do I have to think of everything? All right then. You can be my friend's son, home schooled. Last name…" Alex broke in with an idea.

"Of Lethyl." The others shared glances, and Harry nodded with a thoughtful frown.

"I like it. We should probably go tell Dumbledore so we can get Alex's stuff. We'll have to find a wand--" he was cut off as a silvery thestral raced around the room for a moment. Alex grinned and slipped his wand back into the small, black leather holster on his right leg. Remus chuckled.

"I guess we can take the wand off the list. Let's go tell Albus." The four were silent as they made their way to a familiar gargoyle. Alex watched in faint amusement as Severus sighed theatrically and said the password (Orange TicTacs) causing the gargoyle to jump away. They spent the next couple of seconds on the moving stairs before they reached the top. 

Albus Dumbledore sent a 'Come In' through the door, which swung open, admitting them into the lushly decorated room. The aging headmaster looked with faint surprise at the four that entered, his gaze focused mainly on Alex. The boy returned the gaze without flinching, before Severus cleared his throat and began the introductions.

"Alex, this is Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts' Headmaster. Albus, this is Alex Lethyl, the son of one of my close friends. He's been home schooled, but his dad decided it was time for him to go to a school. We know it's rather late in the year, and that NEWTS are coming up, but Alex can handle it. I'd appreciate it if you agreed to sort him tonight, Albus." The Headmaster looked at Alex again, twinkling blue locking with determined green. The old man smiled and nodded.

"Very well Severus. Alex, please come to dinner tonight. We will sort you then." A slight smile crossed the boy's face as he nodded to Dumbledore.

"Thank you sir." With a glance to Remus, he left the room with Harry. Albus looked at Remus with a raised eyebrow. The werewolf returned the solemn gaze before finally speaking.

"He's not dark, if that's what you're wondering." Severus looked at his friend in faint surprise, but Dumbledore simply the other shrugged. Severus stood and nodded to Dumbledore.

"See you tonight Headmaster." He left the familiar office. Several minutes later, Remus left to follow his foreboding friend down to the dungeons.

Dinner that night was a calm affair at first, unless you noticed Severus Snape's empty seat, or Harry Snape constantly checking his watch the time. Finally, Albus stood, slowly gaining the Hall's attention. He looked out at the crowd of students and smiled, ignoring (though with amusement) the whispers when the Sorting Hat and the stool was brought out.

"Hogwarts students, I'm sure that you would all be interested to be informed that Professor Snape's friend's son is joining our school today. He was home schooled before this, but I'm sure you will all help him relax. May I present Alexander Lethyl, our newest 7th year." The large Hall doors swung open, allowing two people to enter. Eyes flickered over the familiar face of their Potions Professor to their new student. His intense gaze scanned the room quickly, drinking in faces. There were a few muffled gasps at the sight of his scars, and whispering conversations broke out. 

Ignoring it with an ease born out of years of practice, Alex placed the Sorting Hat on his head as he sat on the stool. He smiled as the familiar voice spoke in his head.

^ _Dimension traveler? My, my Harry Potter, a knack for getting into trouble, eh? _^ With a chuckle, Alex answered.

_~ Accidental, I swear. And I don't try to find trouble—it finds me._ ~ A few students began to shift restlessly, and the Hat sighed.

^ _Impatient children…^ _The hat grumbled_ ^Let's take a look in you, hmm? _^ There was a moment of silence that followed.

^ _Not Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw for you, and now I must agree with the other me—the house for you is… **SLYTHERIN! **_^ The Slytherin table broke into cheers as Alex removed the Hat with a whispered promise of future talk, and headed for the seat next to Harry. The Snape heir grinned at his friend.

"I knew you were a Slytherin!" Alex chuckled, though his eyes flicked to the Gryffindor table for a moment. With a faint shake of his head, he turned back to Harry, only to find the other boy had followed his glance. He blinked in surprise at Alex as he joined several pieces of the puzzle together.

"You were a Gryffindor?" Alex shrugged lightly, but explained his history.

"I'd just recently found out I was a wizard. While at Hogwarts, before we were sorted, a real snob insulted the friend I'd just made on the train. He was sorted before me and got into Slytherin. The Hat said I'd be great if I went into Slytherin, but I didn't want to be with the snob. I said no, and it put me in Gryffindor." A grin crossed his face at Harry's dumbstruck expression, and he calmly ate his dinner, pausing only long enough to remind the other boy that he should eat as well.

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So what did you think? The authors note here is a new page, and the authors note at the beginning was about one page, so that makes this first chapter 13 pages long. PLEASE let me know what you thought, even if you hated it!

I've got about another 14 stories going at the same time, so don't expect that many updates. I have all these ideas that I start, and then I never finish… that's why a lot of my stories are one shots. And I have no idea where Vampiric Pasts is going, so please, don't ask. Not a clue. For now, it's just… happening. *shrugs* Anyway, I'll save this and send it to a beta… and then post it when I get it back… and yeah. I'm tired.

Lerafea—thanks for beta-ing it!

~mednar


	2. Chapter 2 The Surprise

A/N: Hey! Me again! I got the next chapter typed up, see? It's taken me a while. *Sigh* Cramps in the fingers hurt, especially when all I can do is press on the spot and hope it'll go away. Now I need to read through this and fix typos. Yippee! Then I'll send it to lovely beta Lerafea _(Lerafea: *arches eyebrow*)_. Hugs!

Disclaimer: Not mine. Would I write it if I owned Harry Potter? (Actually, knowing me, I might, but it would be a lot better then it is.)

Review responses are at the bottom. Very bottom. Like, very very… ok, you get the idea.

Dedicated to: Lerafea, for being such a wonderful beta! Damon Rhodes, for coming up with the challenge that gave me the inspiration for this! Hope you two like this chapter!

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Chapter 2

Alex made his way to breakfast the next day, talking and laughing with Blaise and Draco. The blonde was currently telling 'the new kid' about who was where on the school's social ladder.

"We're somewhere near the top—a lot of kids respect us, except for that Gryffindor git, Ron, and his friends. Their Head of House, McGonagall, is rather strict, so make sure you pay attention in Transfiguration." They approached the Slytherin table and took their seats. Blaise accepted the Daily prophet from a delivery owl that had been waiting for him, paid the three Knuts, and laid it aside. Alex blinked, trying to process the flash of words he had seen.

"Hey, Blaise—can I look at that?" He asked, dropping his fork with a thud. The brown haired boy nodded and passed it over, returning to his food. Alex looked at the large article on the front page that had caught his eye. His jade-hued eyes widened faintly as he read it.

**'Scailous Death—Potter sacrifice Anniversary'**

_'by Laurice Dongbonga'_

_'Today, as many of you will remember, is the anniversary of the fall of the Dark Lord Scailous. Sadly, it is also the anniversary of the ending of the Potter's line, for this day, 35 years ago, Michael, Claudia, and two-year old James Potter sacrificed themselves to rid the world of the Dark Lord. Michael and Claudia knew that the only way they could save their fellow wizards and the Muggles was by willingly ending one line of purebloods. They, in an effort they hoped would give our world peace, allowed the Killing Curse to be cast. As the green light took them, Scailous died. The Potter sacrifice will be remembered for years to come, as they have given us several years of peace.'_

Alex handed the paper back to Blaise, deep in thought. Harry arrived then, yawning, and in a rush.

"We're going to be late for Transfiguration! How could you three not notice the empty Hall? C'mon!" With startled yells, they raced for the classroom, hurriedly slinging the heavy book bags over their arms.

The four slid into seats as the bell rang, panting. A tabby cat glared at them from McGonagall's desk before jumping off and transforming into the stern Professor herself. The strict gaze fell on all the students in turn before she smiled faintly.

"Today's lesson is Animagi. Who can tell me what an Animagus is?" Several of the normal 'smart people' hands went up. Alex watched through calm eyes as she nodded at Draco, his hand remaining firmly clenched in his lap.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?" She asked, inclining her head towards him. The blonde smiled slightly as he answered.

"An Animagus is a human who can change into an animal and back at will," he recited as the professor nodded.

"Three points to Slytherin; that is correct. Can anyone tell me how you find out what animal forms you have?" Everyone looked around the room, though no hands were raised. As McGonagall opened her mouth to give the answer, a hand raised. Everyone turned to watch Alex as she nodded to him.

"Mr. Lethyl?" The dark haired boy started his explanation.

"There are a three ways to find your animal form. The first, and most widely used, is the Reveal potion. When put in a goblet and the goblet held by a person, the potion will shift into the form of the animal if they have one. Another less used type is the Mirror of Forms. The Mirror shows the form of a person when said person looks into the Mirror. However, there are only a few of these Mirrors in the Wizarding World that have not been broken. 

"The least-used way to find your form, however, is the Arenas Fremas spell. This is rare because the Arenas Fremas pulls its strength from the caster, who must be the one who will find his or her forms. It's highly draining and must be done at an exact time, the fourth new moon after Midwinter's Eve. The forms that are found are based on your mind and the possible futures you have." There was a second of silence before McGonagall smiled.

"Very good Mr. Lethyl. 15 points to Slytherin; you are quite correct. Today we are going to use the Reveal potion, made by Professor Snape, to see if you have a form. If any of you do, you may sign up for a class with me to work on it so you can become an Animagus. Now, Mr. Crabbe, if you will come up here to start the group?" 

Obliging, the large boy went up and held the goblet that McGonagall placed on the desk, and looked in at the silvery liquid. Minutes later, after there had been dejected sighs and some excited squeals, mostly from the girls, the first of the little Slytherin group went up to the desk.   
  
            Draco looked in the goblet and smiled as the liquid bubbled faintly. Those bubbles suddenly shifted up into a sleek silver panther. The liquid cat batted a paw towards Draco and sloshed back into the cup. 

Blaise went up next, gripping the goblet. The potion leaped up out of the container, leaving a liquid monkey chattering and waving at Blaise while standing on the edge before it fell backwards into the cup again. Blaise passed Harry on his way back to his seat. When Harry touched the goblet, the liquid rose into a cheerful mutt. The dog's fluffy tail wagged wildly before sliding back into the goblet. Harry returned to his seat, giving Alex a reassuring grin. 

Alex, the last in the class to test for a form, gripped the goblet and closed his eyes. McGonagall blinked as the liquid shivered and rippled. Something stirred and tried to rise, only to be forced back under. Alex forced his will on the potion, commanding it to keep his unregistered cobra form underneath the liquid. Finally, just as he was going to remove his hands in relief, the liquid shot up as a silvery gryphon soared around the cup once before falling back in the container. Both he and Professor McGonagall stared before she cleared her throat.

"Alright Alex, you can return to your seat," she said, turning to move the potion away. Once he was seated, Alex murmured a soft, vague explanation for taking so long. The professor looked up and out at her students, smiling slightly. ****

"Those of you who had forms and wish to become Animagi come up to my desk and sign up for the class. The rest of you are dismissed." About half of the class left the room. The rest went to the desk and signed the parchment that rested on her desk. McGonagall rolled the parchment up once Alex, who had been last once again, had signed up. She glanced at the 17-year-old, hesitated slightly before speaking. 

"Mr. Lethyl? A moment?" Alex glanced at his three friends, then the teacher, and nodded. Draco peered at the Professor's face and looked at Alex as though assessing the situation.

"We'll meet you in Defense," the blonde murmured, pitching his voice low enough not to be heard by the professor. Alex nodded, and the three boys left. Professor McGonagall smiled at Alex.

"As I'm sure you already know, it takes a powerful wizard to have a magical Animagus form. That being said, it takes considerably more effort to complete the transformation. Are you sure you still want to go through with it?" Alex's green eyes seemed to laugh, although his face remained serious.

"I'd like to at least try, Professor." The woman nodded.

"Very well. You'd better head to your next class. I assume the others have given you directions?" Alex nodded. McGonagall dismissed him and he half-ran to the DADA classroom. A minute or so later he slid into the seat by Harry and rested his head on his hand, looking up only when Remus began the lesson.

The Common Room was fairly crowded later that night after classes. Alex sat on a large armchair by the fire, listening as Harry, Draco, and Blaise talked of the homework they had received. Alex turned to Harry.

"What's your mom like?" He asked, his curiosity evident in his gaze.  Harry smiled at his friend.

"Lily Snape is one of the nicest women you could ever hope to meet. She's also one of the best Aurors in the Ministry. She was a Slytherin in the same year as Dad. That's how they met. She was also friends with Remus and Sirius Black, and when Mom and Dad had me, the two became my godfathers. Sirius and one of his friends, Peter Pettigrew, are also some of the best Aurors in the business." Alex sat quietly, digesting the new and surprising information. A few minutes later, he joined the conversation of homework, the thoughtful expression from before no longer seen on his face.

Two weeks later, most of the students were eating dinner in the Great hall when all the candles flickered and died, plunging the Hall into darkness. Suddenly, Harry could feel a sudden tenseness and a slight wave of power from Alex, who was sitting beside him. The doors swung open and hooded men and women flowed in, torches raised overhead. As the teachers rose, drawing wands, there was a shimmer and a huge bubble-like glow surrounded the Head Table. No one was able to move. 

All eyes turned fearfully to the doors as a tall, heavily cloaked man entered. His laugh was chilling as it spread through the room.

"So this is the almighty Hogwarts. Seems rather weak to me. I've learned from the mistakes of my forebear Dark Lords—attack Hogwarts before making your presence known to the Wizarding World. So here I am! Dark Lord Tiernon!" He lowered his hood, smirking with the thought of victory. He was a handsome man, around 36, with stylish brown hair and strong features. He motioned his followers to attack as he laughed in triumph.

His laughter was cut off abruptly as a red stunning beam shot towards him. He blocked it with a simple shield spell and slowly, ever so slowly, turned to face the Slytherin table. Alex Lethyl stared at the Dark Lord, face stony, scars making him look terrifying in the flickering candlelight. Tiernon chuckled dryly, raising his wand to point at the Slytherin boy.

            "Is this the last defense of Hogwarts? A mere boy?" He mocked, sounding faintly amused. "Well then, let's see what you've got boy."   
  
            A grim smile crossed Alex's scarred face and raised his wand, a simple spell flowing from his lips. And the duel began.   
  
            It started out simple, with spells taught in the school. Shortly after it began, however, the Dark Lord got bored and began sending harder and darker spells. He faltered only slightly when the boy began to return with the same types of curses, recovering quickly. One of his torch-holding men, seeing that his lord was not gaining the upper hand, cast the disarming spell from the side, effectively forcing the 17 year old to drop his wand. Tiernon smirked, half-lowering his wand.

"Foolish boy. If I was able to block all of your teachers, how could you ever think you can stand up to me?" There was a wave of power that forced the candles to relight as fire blazed in the frozen green eyes of Alex. A smirk stole grimly over his face even as anger made his voice, which seemed far too old, shake slightly.

"How dare you. How dare you come in here, acting like you rule the world, and try to take away the innocence and peace these people have had for thirty-five years. You would kill them, let their families be told of their deaths, and strike while the world is in mourning. Despite your so-called superiority, you're just like all the other Dark Lords. _Stupid_. You can try to do whatever you want to me—gods know I never had any innocence after the age of one—but you will NOT touch any of the people in this hall as long as I live. And I don't die easily," he growled, finishing the tirade still glaring at the older wizard. Tiernon sneered, regaining his confidence despite the speech.

"Who's going to stop me? A little brat like yourself?" He mocked. Alex smirked, emerald eyes defiant, but looking older then Dumbledore's, if that was possible.

"No. A snake like myself." With a tired, grim chuckle at the confused look on Tiernon's face, he opened his mouth to speak. Hisses escaped his lips in a rapid-fire speed as he sent a powerful Parseltongue curse at Tiernon, his alarmingly green eyes flashing furiously. Fiery silver and gold light sped towards the Dark Lord, casting a silver light on a face that flinched in sharp pain as Tiernon began to scream a death scream. A silvery-gold glow surrounded the man then, seeming to pull and hack at something. Alex flinched again as blood began to seep out of a newly formed cut. The gash began where the other scar ended, a little past the nose, and continued down his neck to the spot where neck and shoulder joined as though it were one. 

As the former Dark Lord fell dead, soulless eyes staring blankly at his destroyer, the old and worn looking boy found his wand and picked it up, aiming at the bubble shield around the Head Table. A murmured incantation escaped his lips before he collapsed, unconscious, as the shield fell from the head table. Shocked Slytherins managed to catch him before he hit the ground, as Remus and Severus rushed down to take the transfer student to the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore, looking faintly shocked, sent the students to their common rooms after having immobilized the men and women who had come in with the Dark Lord. He then, along with the remaining teachers, began the long job of interrogating the followers.

Alex woke from unconsciousness without moving or giving sign of his waking, using his senses to figure out where he was. He heard a familiar female voice exclaiming.

"-And I've never seen anything like it! The only damage to his body is that scar, and nothing I've tried will get rid of it. His magical stores are almost empty, and to stay in Hogwarts as a wizard, he had to tap into his body's strength to help fuel the spell. If he hadn't done that, he would have lost all his magic and it never would have returned. As it is, he only has enough left to be considered a wizard. He should be all right with a few days rest though. His powers will return, and he's just exhausted." Alex smiled as Madam Pomphrey finished explaining his symptoms. So, the Hospital Wing. He should've known. How often had he found himself in here?

Slowly he pried his eyelids apart, flinching slightly from the sudden presence of light. He shifted, acting like he just woke up. Pomphrey rushed into the room, followed by Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Harry Snape and Severus Snape who were, apparently, the people she had been explaining his condition to. The Medi-witch bustled around the room busily, dropping potions on the table by his bed. Harry grinned slightly at the disgusted look on his bed-ridden friend's face, and smiled at the busy nurse.

"That'll be ok ma'am. I'll make sure he drinks them all." She hesitated, looking suspiciously at the wizards, before nodding and leaving the room. The boy lying amidst all the white heaved a sigh of relief, grinning at his saviors. Severus noticed that the smile never reached the brilliant-green orbs.

"Thank you! I hate Hospital Wings. The nurses are like bad days—they hover over you!" Sirius choked back a laugh, and even Severus' mouth twitched. Harry smirked.

"As wonderful as that may be, I need to keep my promise. Drink up Alex!" He chuckled as the other groaned debating aloud to throw a pillow at him while everyone else laughed.

Thirty minutes later Alex had finished pouring the potions down his throat. They were still laughing as the door opened and Albus Dumbledore entered the wing. Instantly, silence spread among the bunch. Alex fixed intense green eyes on the Headmaster, one brow arching delicately. The old man sighed and looked at Alex.

"I need to know about that spell, Mr. Lethyl. How did you know it, where did you learn it, when did you learn it, and what does it do?" The boy was silent, though his aura was steadily growing. Dumbledore frowned faintly, the twinkle nowhere in sight.

"I need to know this Mr. Lethyl. If you won't tell me, I'll be forced to use a truth potion." There was a still silence, though the growing aura seemed to pulse and flow faster. Albus sighed and looked at his Potions Master.

"Severus, I need-" He never got past those first three words as the shifting aura spread like a shockwave through the Hospital. Everyone's gaze was forced away from Alex for a moment. When they could be turned to face him again, he was the pure vision of fury. Long claws erupted from bent fingers, which were clenching the bed sheets, an obvious effort to calm himself. Glittering fangs were bared when he opened his mouth in a snarl. The most shocking change, however, was his eyes. They had gone almost completely gold, with a thin green band around vertical, snake-like pupils. The eyes burned with anger, making his gaze impossible to meet for much more then a minute. His voice, when he spoke, was frosty cold.

"Is it not enough that I saved your school for you?" He demanded, his voice low. "Maybe it's not enough that I kept the Wizarding World from being plunged into a time of darkness, full of murders and deaths, without a hero to give them hope. No one should ever have their innocence stolen like that, but it happens. It didn't happen here, and I won't let it. I will not destroy lives by bringing to the public's attention the curse and its effects. I will not constantly relive memories while I'm still living my life. Use your years of peace and cherish them, for they are more precious then you know, and they can be stolen in mere seconds."   
  
            Abruptly, and with a faint look of surprise, Alex returned to the boy they had begun to get used to. There was a moment when Alex and Dumbledore locked gazes. It was Albus Dumbledore who broke the gaze and bowed his head with a slight smile.

"Very well, and a wise decision Alex Lethyl. I apologize for my questions." With nods to the others, he left the room in silence. Alex waited for the old man to leave hearing range before turning eagerly to his friends, who were still staring at him. He motioned impatiently.

"Help me to the dungeons. I always heal better there, closer to the earth, then in a medical and hospital wing. Pleeeeeeeeeease?" He begged, as Harry grinned and began to help his friend out of the bed. The others jerked out of their shock and helped. The group made their way down through the castle towards the dungeons and Severus' office.

            Thirty minutes later, Alex rested alone in a small room down in the stony dungeons. He looked over at one of the dark, damp-looking walls with a smile, knowing that he was as close to the life-giving earth as possible without actually being outside. The Earth was one of the healing forces he had been touched by over his 17 years, helping him through some of the hardest times of his life. Even Dumbledore didn't know some of what the Mother knew, since he had gone outside to be alone and wept to Nature, telling Her all his fears, sorrows, hates, and hopes. She had always been there for him, and he knew that She always would be. 

  
            With a tired sigh of relief, Alex allowed the soothing cover of exhausted sleep to overtake him, setting him free from all mortal bonds.

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**1)** the spell he used against Tiernon is the same one he used on Voldemort, which is why he knew it. He didn't want to take any chances with Tiernon coming back, so he took him out from the beginning. 

**2)** the whole 'claw and fangs and snake-eyes' things will be explained next chapter. 

That's it for this chapter! I realize that Harry seems a little 'super-powerful', and I apologize for this fact.

If you got confused at that last two or three paragraphs, let me explain. First, it only originally said 'I always heal better by the earth'. However, Lerafea (thanks for beta-ing!) told me that was a little confusing, so I went back and cleared it up. I hope. I'm kind of in a mythological state of mind right now, so the 'She' and 'Her' I was talking about is Mother Earth/Mother Nature. I figure the Mother takes care of her children, and Harry has to has someone to confide in, even if she doesn't really talk. Anyway, I like that paragraph. =D

I'm just really tired from my week of school—but guess what?? I got into the high school I wanted!! THIS IS CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION!!! It's a vocational school, and I didn't think I did that good on the math part of the entry test… but I got in! =D

Hm…. Oh! **Review responses**!

**SilverKnight7**: Thanks for being my first reviewer! And see? I updated! (sorry for the delay!)

**Zol**: lol, there is no 'bad reviewer' when you review a story! (unless you flame, perhaps, but sometimes even those are good. They provide hours of amusement—or at least minutes.) An author (or at least I) loves reviews!! Feel free to keep reviewing with your reviews! I'm glad you love it!

**Kateri1**: Glad you think it's interesting! Hope you like this chapter too.

**Filodea**: Glad you like it so far! I've read AU Harry's too—I think it's rubbed off on me, because I read my story and find so many parts from other stories I've read… *sigh* =D Remus may or may not figure it out… I'm not saying anything…

**Lord Elrond of Hogwarts**: Glad you love my Sev, and the humor. Yeah; I think that line (voice was determined) is an important part of any story where there's important stuff. Did that make sense? Sorry it was hard to tell who was speaking. We tried to make it clearer. Did I even say which symbol they were? *gets shifty look*   Ah, but in this AU, Harry Potter doesn't exist. Harry Snape does. Therefore, not having a Voldemort doesn't affect him… yeah. I did put in a Dark Lord. Just not Voldie-Moldie. =D I updated!

**Lady Shang**: So glad you like it! Please make my day and update again! *grins*

**Damon Rhodes**: So happy you think it's wonderful! Thank you inspiration-mate! *hugs* I dedicated this chapter to you, did you see?

**Lerafea**: Hey! Thanks for beta-ing for me! Yeah, I know it's kinda confusing… my brain tends to jump around to the action parts and everything, so it's hard for me to write the 'fill-in' scenes, so they're either bad or just not there… heh heh… this chapters dedicated to you too, did you see?

**LilyG**: Hey, thanks for reviewing! Yeah, I know it's a little hard to follow, but it's so fun to write… and it is a little confusing, with all the name changing and the voices and everything, but I can't think of another way to do it. I'm glad you like it!

Thanks to all my reviewers and any readers who didn't review! Now be a dear and just hit review, ok? Thanks!!  
  
Thanks again to Lerafea for beta-ing this, even if it took a while—I do understand about school, believe me! I hope I got everything you were confused about!****


	3. Chapter 3 The Story

A/N: you will not believe how long it took me to find where I left off on the last chapter when typing it up. Urgh! And I lost the notebook the story was in too—I was cleaning my room (I know what you're thinking—yes, I AM insane, Lerafea has already told me that.) and I had them in neat piles. I went for lunch and my mom put the neat piles somewhere else and I lost the notebook. But anyway. Here it is, and I hope I'm typing from the right spot.

Lerafea: You're not only insane, you're also one helluva mad woman. Pushes MedNar towards St. Mungo's ::Mutters:: Too many crucios.

(cackles and leaves in Lerafea's message) Aww, I knew you loved me!

Since I was informed by my lovely beta not to stick it in the middle of the story, I shall tell you all now that there are **_SPOILERS_** stuck somewhere in the middle. They're really big paragraphs—you can skip them, basically. I make up my own history for sixth year, just some background info, and then the history has all been told. =D

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. And I probably don't own half the plot, if I could figure it out with my brain working.

Have fun reading!

This is Parseltongue. Blah blah.

_Italics like this represent Alex (Harry Potter) in his ORIGINAL world._

            Alex lay on a transfigured bed in the Potions Master's office. While his body remained still in the grips of sleep, his mind wandered through the dream planes, dark voids where dreamers appeared before disappearing into the dream or nightmare given to them that night. Alex sighed, recalling his slip in the Hospital Wing.

It was all Voldemort's fault. He, once again, had tried using the Killing Curse. You'd think the man would've learned his lesson by now. Alex, in defense, had pulled on the link through the famous scar on his forehead.

The yanking on the link did dissipate the curse, but it had an unforeseen outcome as well. The last time Alex had gotten angry, the change had happened for the first time. They'd shortly discovered that he had the ability to change halfway through an Animagus transformation, while controlling the parts that changed.

It had only taken about two days for Ron to get tired of constantly explaining whether he meant a full Animagus transformation, or the halfway change. Because of this, the full change was simply known as Animagus, while the halfway change was only 'Half'.

Before Alex could continue his contemplation, a new scene started to appear before him. He noted absently that he seemed to be some sort of astral projection, but turned his attention to the scene before him.

            _It took place in a cemetery, though it was quite different from the one he was in during the 'trip' he had to take during his fourth year.  Not only was this one brighter and less gloomy, it had three weary-looking people standing around a newly covered grave. All though they were suspiciously bright eyed, Remus and Albus seemed to be doing their best not to cry. Draco Malfoy stood beside them, clutching a small bouquet of white lilies, tears threatening to leak from the corner of his eyes. _

_Curious, Alex peered at the inscription and gasped in faint confusion._

_            'Harry James Potter. __June 31 1989__-2006.__ hero to all, friend to an honored few.' Draco and the two older men looked over towards the headstone at the gasp and blinked in surprise. Remus spoke finally, his voice shaky._

_            "Harry? Is that you?" The ghost of their dear friend looked up from frowning at the stone, meeting their shocked gazes._

_            "Yeah. They call me Alex in the other world though. Two Harry's at one place would be downright confusing." Albus's brows furrowed faintly._

_            "I'm sorry—other world?" The ghost blinked._

_            "Well, I'm not exactly sure how I got there. I was avoiding Filch again, ducked into a room, and woke up in the Hospital Wing with Severus Snape sitting by my bed and calling me 'son'. Actually, I was a spirit in this other-world-Harry's body, sharing the same mind space. Then we did a spell to give me a body—I think it's an Alternate Universe or something Albus, because James Potter died at age 2 and Voldemort never existed. But I have a question. What's that supposed to mean?" He waved at the headstone and grave. _

_Remus was the one who answered, having gained control of his use of vocal chords much faster then Draco, and Albus was lost in thought._

_            "We found your body near the Great Hall the next morning, in a coma-like state. A few weeks ago it vanished. No one knew what happened, so we assumed you died."_

_            "That's around the time we got my body. Sorry," Harry winced. _

_            "No problem Harry," Albus smiled, looking more like himself then the haunted man he had been just now.  "I think I know what happened, but one can never be too sure. Research 'Universe-rooms', Harry. Remus, please come with me." The two older men left, leaving the two 17 year olds behind. Draco's hands tightened around the lilies, an effort to keep his voice from shaking—Malfoy's don't show weakness, after all—that Harry saw right through immediately._

_            "Draco…"_

            Back in the dungeon office, Severus slipped out and returned, bringing Draco Malfoy with him to see if there was anything the boy could do, his name having been murmured by the sleeping Alex. The others had been listening with considerable interest as he had first begun to mutter in his sleep with what sounded like a tombstone inscription.

            _The blond looked up as Harry drifted closer, placing his fingers under the grey-eyed boy's chin. The fingers, surprisingly enough, were not icy-cold like one would've thought, but were warm and rather solid. Neither seemed to notice as a soft smile touched Harry's mouth._

_            "He's not here anymore, remember? You can do whatever you want, regardless of your name. Besides, only I'll know, and you know that I won't tell anyone." There was a pause before the Malfoy heir dropped the flowers and collapsed to the ground, bringing Harry with him. Harry simply rested a hand on the boy's shoulder as he shook, acting as a comforting presence. After he had calmed down enough, Draco let out a shaky laugh._

_            "I'd thought I'd lost my last chance to make things right, to apologize for five and a half years of hatred and insults." Harry smiled, even as he felt himself fading, and unwound himself from the boy._

_            "We're already on our way to friendship, Draco. And it will be continued when I get home. I'm being called back to Alex." Grey eyes watched the ghost fade away._

_            "Very well, Boy-Who-Lived-To-Win." _

Alex groaned as green eyes opened. He was instantly met with several pairs of concerned eyes because of the groan, and shook his head slightly.

            "I'm not hurt—just reminded of a nickname that I never liked." Harry nodded, then looked a little sheepish.

            "Um, Alex—we brought Draco here, and… well, I think he's a little confused." Alex turned slightly to peer at the blond boy, who was indeed looking extremely confused. He sighed slightly and stood up to pace. Remus watched the wizard carefully for any signs of weakness.

            "Draco. Remember how Harry would space out for a while earlier in the year? That was because he was talking to me. I'm from what we're pretty sure is an Alternate Universe, and somehow got transported here into Harry's head. We then managed to find a spell to give me my own body. I'm sure this would make more sense if I understood it myself," he sighed. Draco grinned.

            "That's alright. What you've said will probably kick in sometime tomorrow, and then I'll be shocked." He shrugged lightly and changed the subject.

            "Hey Harry! When's your mum coming for her visit?" Severus noticed Alex glance up quickly as his attention turned towards the conversation, listening intently. Harry shrugged.

            "Not sure. Probably soon though." He looked to his father for confirmation, and the dark-haired man smiled and nodded. Remus leapt forward and caught Alex as the boy's legs suddenly gave out from under him, setting the worn boy on the bed. A small smile was his reward.

            "Thanks Remus. I guess I'm weaker then I thought." His emerald eyes scanned the group for a moment.

            "Hey, Harry? I know I spot where I'll be able to rest without any interruption. Can you help me there?" The two similar boys began to slowly make their way out of the dungeon.

Harry waited patiently as Alex leaned heavily on him for a moment before they began to walk again. He frowned faintly.

            "Hey Alex? Where're we going?" The scarred boy's answer was labored with deep breaths.

            "Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, to the Chamber of Secrets." This made Harry stop in confusion, causing Alex to fumble for a grip to keep himself from falling. Harry helped him regain his footing, with a quick apology.

            "Sorry. Who's bathroom to where?" Alex's eyes lit in understanding.

            "Ah, that's right, no Voldie. Moaning Myrtle was a ghost in my world who haunted one of the girl's bathrooms, and you don't want to know how I know of the Chamber of Secrets. Can we keep going now?" With a soft blush of embarrassment coloring his cheeks, Harry helped Alex down the hall again.

They stopped outside a bathroom, and looked around. Seeing no one in the halls, Alex slid his wand out and murmured softly. There was a moments glow on the door and an 'Out of Order' sign hung upon the door, followed by Filch's messy signature. Harry took a deep breath and opened the door, calling in.

            "Hello? Anyone in there?" When no one answered, both boys stepped in. Harry stood and watched as Alex moved to the collection of sinks, running his fingers over them. He stopped at one near the left and seemed to tune everything out as he focused on a small bronze carving. Harry blinked and then shivered as a light, hissing language escaped Alex's mouth. His attention was caught again when the sinks shifted apart and sank into the floor, leaving an opening much like a pipe that led much further down then the dungeons.

            Alex looked up at Harry with a faint smile as he spoke.

"I'll keep an eye on what's going on. If you need me—" he hesitated. "—then come here, go to the right wall, and yell my name. I'll come, don't worry." The two smiled at each other before Alex slid down the tube. The sinks began to close again as Harry exited the bathroom.

He left for the dungeon room, where he would spend the next five minutes telling Severus, Draco, Remus, and Sirius what little he'd gotten out of Alex.

Alex grimaced as he slowly picked his way through the tunnel to the final door. With a hissed 'Open', he once again entered the Chamber of Secrets for the second time in his life. This time, however, he didn't need to kill a basilisk to save Ginny Weasley. As the door shut behind him with a resounding clang, he called out in Parseltongue to the seemingly empty Chamber.

            Basilisk! Please, show yourself to me with closed eyes. I need to ask a favor of you. There was a faint splash of water and the slithering sound of wet scales on stone as a large body heaved itself out of the moat around the statue of Salazar Slytherin.

            Master Snake-speaker? A slight smile crossed Alex's face.

            Yes Basilisk. My name is Harry. He had worried about telling the snake his real name, then realized that it was foolish. Who was the basilisk going to tell? The large snake bowed it's head, eyes closed.

            Master Harry. I am Narzaia. It is nice to have someone to talk to. Alex's teeth flashed in a slight grin.

            Yes, I can understand that. Narzaia, I need to ask you to watch the school for me. You must travel only in the pipes and with your eyes closed so no one is killed. Can you do that for me? The basilisk twitched excitedly.

            Of course! She shot off into the school as soon as Alex gave her the hiss that meant 'go on.' Chuckling softly, Alex made his way towards the statue and sat down to rest. He would be woken by Narzaia as time passed so she could give her report to him.

            On the third day (the sixth time Narzaia woke him) the basilisk seemed fidgety. His brows furrowed.

            What is it Narzaia? The beast shook her head.

            Most of the school is just as it was before. Lily Snape is here, and Harry Snape is waiting outside for you master Harry. Alex smiled and got to his feet, feeling strong again.

            Thank you Narzaia. I'll try to return, but I can't promise anything. Poisonous fangs bared in a gentle smile.

            Yes Master Harry. Goodbye! With another smile to the creature, Alex began his return to the pipe. Taking a breath once there, he allowed the magic to suck him back out to the girl's bathroom. As he stepped off the air rush to the ground beyond the sinks, he smiled at Harry.

            "I told you I'd come if you called. What's up?" Harry smiled.

            "My mum's here. Thought it'd be nice for you to meet her now." Alex froze for a moment before nodding apprehensively. They began the walk to the dungeons as the sinks closed behind them.

Harry sensed rather than saw Alex slowly tense up. When they finally reached the Potions office, Alex seemed ready to bolt at the slightest warning of danger. Harry placed a hand on his friend's back, frowning as he flinched.

            "It's alright Alex—she'll like you, I promise." Alex grinned slightly in response, but said nothing. He pushed the door and stepped inside, to be meet by the sight of Lily Snape, once Evans, turning to face him with a smile.

            Auburn hair flowed down Lily's back, cascading to about mid-back length. Familiar green eyes, almost exactly like the one's that stared back at him from the mirror everyday (hers were missing the flecks of gold and onyx), danced with mirth as she smiled at Alex. She chuckled softly, holding out a long-fingered hand to him.

            "You're Alex, right? Come on in, don't just stand there." She blinked slightly as the boy's flecked green eyes glimmered with unshed tears. The motherly instinct in her kicked in and she pulled the 17 year old who had recently saved Hogwarts onto her lap as she sat down and held him, murmuring soft words of comfort into his hair.

            "It's alright to cry… you don't have to be strong. Let it out, that's it. You can cry, it doesn't hurt." She continued to comfort him as tears began to flow from his eyes, faster and harder, until they fell out with a relentless fury. As his tears slowly began to halt ten minutes later, Lily rubbed his back.

            "There, see? It's all ok, you're fine." Alex took a shaky breath and smiled slightly.

            "Sorry about that. It's just—well, I suppose I should tell everyone. Harry, Professor Snape, you'll be interested in this too. Mrs. Snape," he looked at the woman, not to hard a feat as he was still on her lap.

"You know I'm from what we decided is an alternate universe, right?" At her nod, he continued.

"Harry, you'll remember I've told you Alex isn't my name? Well, my name is Harry James Potter. My father was James Miles Potter, and my mother was Lily Ann Potter, once Evans." He smiled weakly, looking at Lily.

"That's why I cried, because I never knew you in my own world. Voldemort, the Dark Lord who had been gaining power in my world, attacked my family when I was 15 months old. James stood against him the entrance to give Lily time to take me and run. There wasn't enough time. He cornered us in my room before we could leave. He told Lily to move away so he could kill me, but she wouldn't. He killed her. Then he raised his wand against me, a defenseless little baby. When he cast the killing curse, it reflected off me and struck him. His body died, but his tainted soul survived, to wander the world for ten years, living in snakes. What he didn't realize was there was now a connection between us. His hand rose to trace the lightning bolt part of the scar on his face.

"It left this. I was rescued from the ruins of Godric's Hollow and taken to the house of my only living relatives—the Dursleys. Dudley and Petunia Dursley were my relatives by blood; Vernon by marriage. I lived without knowledge of magic until I was eleven. During that time, I thought I was inferior. My bedroom was the cupboard under the stairs and I did all the chores. As my 11th birthday neared, my Hogwarts letter arrived. My aunt and uncle knew what it was and didn't let me read it. They hoped to squash the magic in me. Letters began arriving faster and in greater numbers until my uncle took us from the house, driving us to a lonely cottage. My birthday came while we were there and Hagrid arrived to hand-deliver my letter. He forced the Dursley's to allow me to go, and ended up giving Dudley a pig's tail.

"The next day he took me to the Leaky Cauldron, where I found out that I was the famous Boy-Who-Lived. The part of the title they seemed to leave out was 'While-His-Parents-Died.' They all thought Voldemort was gone, except for a select few, like Albus Dumbledore. I got to Hogwarts and was sorted into Gryffindor with my two new friends—Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Of course, Hermione wasn't our friend until after Halloween, when we fought a troll to save her. Near the end of the year, we got past a huge three-headed dog, Devil's Snare, a giant chess board, which caused us to leave Ron unconscious, through a potion's logic puzzle, where I had to leave Hermione, and the Mirror of Erised to save the Philosopher's stone from Voldemort, who was living in our DADA teacher, Quirrel. It turns out that I could not be touched by Voldemort or Quirrel because of my mother's love and sacrifice for me. In my second year, the Chamber of Secrets was opened by the youngest Weasley child, Ginny. She was possessed by the 16 year old memory of Voldemort in the form of a diary. Several students were petrified, including Hermione. She had figured out that it was a basilisk released from the Chamber. Then, Ginny was taken to the Chamber to die. I went after her. I received the Sword of Godric Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat that Fawkes had brought." He sighed and cleared his throat, finding it hard to continue.

"Fawkes clawed the basilisk's eyes so that I could see what I was doing with open eyes. I killed the basilisk, was healed by Fawkes, and destroyed the diary that held the memory Tom Marvolo Riddle. Ginny was alright, thankfully. In my third year, Sirius Black broke out of Azkaban after 12 years of imprisonment. Everyone believed he was after me. Dementors were placed around the school. I took extra lessons to learn the Patronus from Remus, my new DADA teacher, to help combat my reaction to the Dementors. Every time they come near me, I hear the last moments of my parents. I finally mastered the Patronus, found out Sirius Black had been framed by Peter Pettigrew who had been hiding for 12 years as the Weasley's rat, and found out Black was my godfather.

"Fourth year I was entered as a fourth school in the Triwizard Tournament by my disguised Death Eater DADA teacher. In the third task, the other Hogwarts champion and I took the cup together. The Portkey took us to a graveyard, Cedric was killed, and Voldemort was brought back, using some of my blood. I lost the protection from my mother, and we had a wizard's duel. Our brother-wands reacted and the shadows of the people killed appeared. I managed to escape and brought Cedric's body back. We got rid of the Death Eater. Fifth year my godfather died because I didn't try to learn Occulmency and Voldemort sent dreams of Sirius trapped in the Ministry. My friends and I went, we were attacked, and some of the Order arrived to save us, but he fell through the Veil." He closed his eyes as his heart wrenched in pain.

"Sixth year—or should I say, the summer before it—Voldemort attacked the Dursley house. The Order arrived just as they broke through the wards. A battle began and I somehow ended up in front of Voldemort. He sent the Killing Curse at me…" Alex paused here, a flash of pain crossing his features.

"Severus Snape, the greasy-haired overgrown bat of a Potions Professor that no one liked, a spy in the Death Eater ranks for the Light, knocked me out of the way, taking the curse himself." Alex's green eyes flicked to this world's Severus Snape for a moment.

"I cast the Destroy Soul on the Dark Lord, a Parseltongue spell that doesn't require a wand, just enough power. It requires a sacrifice though—it causes a scar to cross your face, which will make you famous—or, in my case, even more famous, if you killed someone 'evil'. At school, it was rather un-hectic, unless you count reporters trying to snatch me at all times and kids wanting autographs as hectic.

"So far, 7th year had calmed somewhat. Then, of course, I ended up here. My life just can't be normal." Lily tightened her hold on him fractionally as he finished his story. She smiled slightly.

"I'm glad you were here though, Alex—everyone would've died otherwise." Before she could finish speaking, Alex fainted. Severus and Harry caught him before he hit the ground. They watched as he began to mutter. Severus sighed.

"Looks like he's seeing the other world again."

_Harry's ghost form fizzled into view in front of Remus and Dumbledore, sitting in the library with an open book. Albus smiled as Harry appeared—it meant that they're idea of summoning had worked well enough. Remus grinned at Harry, who seemed slightly irritated._

_"We think we found it Harry. It's called Room of Universes, and it will transport you into the other 'you' in an Alternate universe. Apparently it moves around all the time, so to find it you'll have to just walk around opening doors." Harry nodded, with an amused grin._

_"Shouldn't be too hard for me to do that.__ I'll see if there's anything in this world's library also. I'll talk to you later!" He closed his eyes and 'drifted' back to his body._

Severus, Lily, and Harry looked up from explaining to Remus about the alternate universes. Alex stretched and looked at the others.

"I need help to look up the Room of Universes. I also need to know what I've missed in classes." Grinning, Harry and Alex returned to the Common Room to prepare for the Animagus transformation the next day.

            Alex sat on a desk in the Transfiguration classroom, watching as all around him, his fellow classmates began to transform. He had a look of intense concentration on, but his head was focused on anything but the gryphon form. After having spent two years on his cobra form, he knew exactly what to do to change. Right now, he was perfectly content to watch his friends attempt to change, especially since McGonagall thought it would take longer for him.

            Draco managed it first, after over an hour of having triangular black ears, then a long black tail, a thin layer of black and white fur on his body, narrowed pupils, and thin claws on his hands. He finally transformed into a black panther, white fur on his left shoulder forming the shape of a snake.

            The next to complete the transformation was Blaise, his coming all at once. Brown fur covered the foot-long monkey, a golden 'mane' around his compressed, black leathery face. The end of his tail was covered in a furry golden ball of fluff. A golden star shimmered on the leathery palm of his right hand.

            Harry finally changed, having been unable to speak since they began, as all that he said came out as barks. Golden fur covered the large dog, the fluffy tail waving happily. Two parallel streaks of dark brown ran from his ears down to his front paws.

            Alex looked up as he realized that, aside from McGonagall, he was the only one still human. He watched as McGonagall approached, and waited until she was about to speak to him. He released his control over his form and reveled in the millisecond feeling of the change. He allowed the gryphon mind to take over as he examined his new body through his senses. Small, as gryphons go, because of what his body was made up of.   
  
            A raven made up his front half, with black feathers falling easily over his head and the first half of his body. A creamy beak was held ready for ripping and tearing while crimson eyes stared at the class, one with a diagonal white line through it. The line continued on the feathers, in the exact shape of the Destroy Soul curses. Sharp, tearing talons flexed slightly, the scales tinted a silver color. They were also somewhat orange, giving them a creamy look.

The lower half of his body was that of a lion's, though pitch black in color. Powerful haunches tense slightly, the long sleek tail twitching. The gryphon mind lowered the body into hunting mode, smelling, seeing, and felling all the prey around him. McGonagall motioned all the animals behind her, speaking to them.

            "Don't move—the gryphon mind has taken control, and we need to treat Alex as dangerous until he regains control." She reached for her wand, only to freeze as the gryphon spread huge wings, lowered his head, raised his hackles and crest, and hissed a warning. The wingspan of at least 10 feet took up most of the classroom, ebony feathers holding a startling design. The under-sides of both wings held identical skulls and crossbones, such as that of the pirates of old. The skulls were thin and narrow, with high cheekbones and narrow eyes. If skin were put on them, they would be like the last face of Voldemort.

            The gryphon suddenly pounced, talons pinning the black panther who had been slow to react to the floor. Though they didn't pierce, they didn't let up either. Draco's blue-grey cat eyes stared up into amused crimson ones. Before McGonagall could do anything, Alex easily re-took control of the body, and lowered his head to nuzzle the panther's. Releasing the other, he turned to look at McGonagall expectantly. She stared up at him.

            "Alex?" The regal head bobbed up and down once. She smiled and directed her statement to everyone.

            "To return to your own body, simply think of it. Almost before she finished the sentence, Alex returned to his human form with a smile. The others followed quickly. When McGonagall dismissed them, he slipped away to the lake while most of the others went to the Great Hall for lunch.

Once he stood at the shore, he glanced around before changing into his cobra form. Black scales glittered in the sunlight, tiny white ones forming the same markings on the shake as the gryphon, the white line crossing ice blue eyes. Alex slithered over onto a rock, remaining there and sunbathing until lunch ended. He transformed back to himself, grinning, as he felt the new energy racing through his body, restoring that which had been lost in the transformation to gryphon. He headed up for the DADA lesson.

A/N:  4,461 words! Wheee!

That's all for now! I have… looks about 10 more handwritten pages, so when I get this chapter up I'll start typing that one up. Or sometime soon. Anyway, that'll be the end of the story. Only one more chapter! Now, once I go back and read through this and fix the more obvious mistakes (typos, etc.) I'll ship this off to Lerafea to be beta-ed. Thank you!

**Review Responses**:

Damon Rhodes: lol, Vampire Harry stories rock my world. =D I look forward to more of Crimson Nights—it's a fun story! I can't wait to see him at Hogwarts. And I figure that at least I didn't make James's death THAT bad—I mean, he did save the world for a while. =D Thanks for the review!

            Lord Elrond of Hogwarts: Thanks Tara! And yes, Dumbledore can definitely be a meddling old coot and needs to be put in his place once in a while. I figure his manipulating would be less… how to put it… 'veiled' if there had been peace for so long. Sorry the update was a little slow—like I said, I lost the notebook!

            Lady Shang: I'm glad you liked it! Sometimes I read my work and go "Harry's sort of like a Gary Stu… except he's already in the book…" and then I decide it doesn't matter, I like it, and I write more anyway. =D Thanks for the review.

            Lerafea: My beta! big big BIG hug Margins… margins annoy me. I go to a fanfic and see the scrollbar is really small, and half of it is margins. I have trouble reading a story that has huge margins. sheepish grin

            Kateri1: I'm glad you thought so! Thanks for the review.

            Oklina: I figure with all the rooms in Hogwarts, there has to be ONE that connects to 'another Hogwarts'. I liked the 'Harry in Harry's body' part too. =D

            LilyG: shakes head no no, Harry Potter (y'know, the one we all know and love.) is the one that had the change with the claws/snake eyes, etc. And I hope I explained it ok in this chapter—if I didn't, please let me know and I'll try to make it clearer!

            **IMPORTANT! **I need to know if you want a rather short chapter next and then a separate chapter for the rather short Epilogue, or if you just want them both in the same chapter. Please let me know, or it'll just be all at once. (I think.)

Now that I have gone back, and hopefully successfully un-lumped all the paragraphs, let me know what you thought! And heck—if you thought it was absolutely terrible and I should never write again, tell me! (although I probably will keep writing, but I'd prefer to know you don't like it.)


	4. Chapter 4 The End

A/N: _slinks inside_ heh heh… Hi. This chapter's only about three months late, right? Yeah… about that… school started…? Okay. It's my fault, I admit it. I got caught up in school and actually passing (I can't believe the first marking period is almost over! I have my fingers crossed for my geometry grade… you can all help me hope…), that I sort of never got around to typing this up. This is also the first four-day weekend I have that I'm actually home. We had one, but had to go down to visit my older sister at college—so my plan to type this up didn't happen. So… I'll just start typing the story, shall I?

Just so you know, the very bottom part of the story (between the ending and the A/N) is not working correctly, so it sort of runs into each other instead of having something to 'break' the story between it. I've tried to fix it and it hasn't worked, so A/N is bold instead. Sorry about that!

Thank you to Lerafea for being my wonderful, super-de-dupter beta reader!!

Disclaimer: I never said it was mine, why are you staring at me like that?

This is Parseltongue. Blah blah.

Chapter 4—The End

Remus, Harry, Severus, and Draco sat in the library with Alex, going through the different books they had picked out. Remus and Severus had found a few in the Restricted Section, but there wasn't much left to look at. It was their 7th visit to the library in three days, and they were all getting a little restless.

All of a sudden, Remus winced and grabbed his head, eyes closed. Alex slid off his chair and rested a hand on Remus' shoulder. When his eyes opened again and met Alex's, they were wide with uncontrolled panic. Instantly, Alex dropped in the next chair and forced Remus to look him in the eye. His voice was a mixture of calm and command.

"Moony. Look at me Moony. Calm down." Harry, Severus, and Draco exchanged confused glances, but Remus smiled, his gaze still slightly unfocused.

"He says 'Hi Alex. I think I found the room.'" Alex laughed.

"It would seem so, Moony. You know everyone, except maybe Harry. Moony, this is Harry. Everyone, the Remus from my world, also known as Moony, is apparently in Remus. He found the Room of Universes." He turned back to the werewolf.

"So what's up?" He asked as Remus immediately began to relay what the other said.

"'You know most of what happened. Albus told students and the press that you went off somewhere quiet to "sort out his thoughts", were his exact words. It might be best if you stay here till you take your N.E.W.T.S. and become a fully-trained wizard, though. A few days ago, Diagon Alley was hit by a few of the remaining Death Eaters. No one was hurt -- the Aurors were there fast enough -- but they're still looking for you. Finish your schooling here so you won't have to worry about them. We were going to tell you next time we saw you, but I'm here so I thought I would.'" Alex grinned.

"I think you'd murder me if I went back and ended up killing myself, so I'll stay here." Remus laughed and the group gave up on the search, going instead to the Potions office, their official new 'hang-out.'

…

As the N.E.W.T.S. were approaching, the studies for the 7th years got harder and more stressful. Sitting in the common room about two weeks before the exams with Harry, Draco, and Blaise, Alex abruptly flung his quill at the wall. It connected with the wall hard enough that the feather snapped in two. Three pairs of eyes turned to Alex, who slumped back in his chair.

"That's it. Anyone have a broom I can borrow? I need to catch a Snitch, fly a broom, do anything aside from work." Blaise grimaced sympathetically and nodded.

My Missile is in my trunk. Feel free to use it." Draco closed his book as Alex headed up to the dorms, and looked at the other two.

"I think I'll join him." Blaise and Harry exchanged looks, shrugged, and headed out to the Quidditch pitch to watch the two.

…

Alex rode slowly around the Pitch, getting the feel of the Missile. The broom was of better quality than his Firebolt -- they had had far more time to develop brooms. Draco pulled his own Missile near Alex.

"What about a race, you game?" Alex studied the blonde. 

"Five laps?" Draco nodded and Alex grinned.

"Three... two… one… go!" They took off, bent low over their broomsticks. Alex reveled in the feeling of the air rushing past him and the feel of the wood under his hands as he shot off like a bullet. Grinning widely, he bent lower and expertly milked the broom for all the speed it could get. Draco watched in awe, even as he made the required laps, as Alex pulled ahead, cloak flapping in the wind created.

Five laps later, Alex pulled the broom to a stop, grinning widely. As Draco caught up, he spoke, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"So that's how fast this little baby can get… but how good is its maneuverability?" Without waiting for an answer, he dove towards the ground. Harry and Blaise rose to their feet to watch as the boy dived, unheeding of the ground rushing up to him. A few inches from the grass, he pulled out of the Wronski Feint, laughing as the broom leveled out.

"Oh man, that was great! Is there a Snitch I can use?" Still watching the other boy like he was crazy, Draco summoned a Snitch and handed it over.

"Here." The dark-haired boy grinned, tossing the Snitch up into the air.

"Thanks Draco." The blond raised an eyebrow.

"Am I correct in assuming you were on the House team?" Alex laughed.

"I was the youngest seeker in a century. I thought my Head was going to expel me after my first time on a broom, but she got the team's captain and told him that she had found him a seeker." With a grin, he glanced around and nodded.

"Should be far enough now, I'm going to go look for it." He closed his eyes and spiraled up, leveling out quickly as emerald eyes snapped open to search the surrounding area. Draco flew over towards Harry and Blaise and hovered near them as they watched the man that was an enigma race the Snitch around the field before snatching it and handing it back to Draco.

"Thanks mate, I needed that." The four headed back to the castle at a slow place, questioning Alex about his Quidditch games.

…

Alex yawned as he left his last exam, History of Magic, and headed for the Potions office. They'd get their results the next day at breakfast. If he and Moony were lucky, they'd be back in their home world in two days. Severus looked up as Alex entered, a rare smile gracing his face.

"Hello Alex. You didn't fail Potions." Alex grinned.

"That's good. I need that grade to go home." Harry, Draco, and Blaise all came in then, each grinning. Blaise laughed.

"I finally remembered the Goblin War of 1724!" Draco smirked.

"I can't wait for breakfast time." Laughing, the four boys retreated to a corner, discussing what they thought they had gotten right or wrong.

Breakfast was a very subdued time for the seventh years, all waiting for the school owls to arrive with the scores. Draco groaned and leaned over to the other three.

"Can I just leave now and not have to get my scores?" There were a few quiet chuckles, but they died quickly as birds of all sizes and colors began to fly in. Eyes fixed upon the owls that carried the futures of the graduating students in their talons. The letters began to drop. At the Ravenclaw table, Hermione let out a shout of joy.

"Thirteen N.E.W.T.S.!" Ron Weasley scowled and dropped his letter in the pitcher of pumpkin juice that sat near him. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan fished it out, read it, and crowed with laughter.

"Five! A measley five for the Measley Weasley!" Ron scowled and grabbed his wand, only to have the fake wand blow up in his face. Back at the Slytherin table, four friends shared looks, then opened their letters at the same time. Draco let out a pleased chuckle.

"12 N.E.W.T.S. What about you guys?" Blaise grinned.

"11. Harry?"

"12, just like Draco. Alex, what'd you get?" When he got no answer, they turned to look at the fourth member of their group. Alex's hand trembled as his face went pale with shock. He dropped the letter on his plate and raced off to find Moony. Curious, Harry picked up the scores. His mouth fell open.

"Alex got 14 N.E.W.T.S.!" Several people who caught the words stared. Draco and Blaise stared at the seat their friend had so recently vacated. As if one, the three Slytherins ran after their fellow 7th year, making sure to bring all the letters.

Up at the Head Table, Severus Snape frowned as the four left the Hall, Alex first. About three minutes later, his stone glowed a pale green. He excused himself from the Table and headed to the DADA office, speeding up once he was out of the Hall.

…

Remus Lupin swept Harry up in a huge hug, following what the other in his head was saying to do, and passing on his excited words to the still shell-shocked boy.

"'Congratulations Alex! Hermione would be pleased, Molly would be crying tears of joy, and your parents, had they been alive, would've cheered and held a party.'" He grinned.

"'And all that will still happen when we return to our world, with me being the proud godfather and holding the party while cheering.'" Moony laughed at the face of the boy as it shifted from shock to disbelief to joy.

"'Your parents named me second godfather, even though I wouldn't be able to take you in, being a werewolf and all. I didn't want to tell you until I'd be able to take you in, and you had to be graduated for that.'" Alex laughed and returned the hug as his three friends ran in, eyes shining.

"Harry! You got a perfect score!" The black-haired boy grinned at his friends.

"I know. Everyone at home will be glad too." He glanced at Remus with a laugh.

"It will certainly be a shock to Ron." The door swung open again and Snape entered, looking at the others with a raised eyebrow.

"What's going on?" Alex grinned slightly.

"Moony and I are going to go home soon! I got 14 N.E.W.T.S., so I can now go home as a qualified wizard." Severus smiled and shook the boy's hand.

"Congratulations Alex. What do you say we all celebrate tonight, inform Albus tomorrow, and leave tomorrow night?" Chuckling, the group of six left for Hogsmeade -- the seventh years had no more classes, and the other classes were cancelled for the day.

…

Albus looked at the two teachers and four ex-students of his over his half-moon glasses after their story had been explained.

"Why wasn't I informed of this sooner?" Alex shifted slightly, looking at the ground.

"I didn't want to face the suspicion you'd have, and for once I wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived-And-Won-The-War. I was able to just be _myself_." Albus watched Alex for a minute before smiling, the usual twinkle in his eye.

"Very well. Feel free to search for the Room when you are ready. It was a pleasure having you in our school." The six left the office to begin searching for the Room of Universes.

Albus Dumbledore looked over at the sick-looking phoenix on the perch to his left.

"What do you think Fawkes?" The bird let out a soft trill in reply before bursting into flames, the ashes falling to the tray below the perch. Seconds later, the small phoenix looked up into the twinkling eyes of the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

…

Harry sighed as Alex and Remus opened door after door. Alex frowned as he stopped in front of a door. 'This is the door I went in before…' He lightly touched the handle, and stumbled back as if shocked.

"I think I found it. The magic's fairly pulsing." Alex turned to his friends, clapping Draco and Blaise on the back.

"I'll try and get to know you two in my world, now that I know what you can be like." Blaise grinned and shoved him lightly.

"If you don't, I'll figure out a way to hurt you." Everyone grinned at Blaise's comment. Alex turned to Severus Snape, his smile turning slightly sad.

"I wish I could do the same for you sir. You had protected me and saved my life so many times and I really never acknowledged it." Severus rested his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I forgive you." Alex bowed his head slightly before turning to Harry. Alex grinned slightly.

"Thanks Harry. I appreciated everything you've done for me." Harry grinned at his 'other self.'

"No problem. See if you can visit sometime." Moony, in Remus, looked up from finishing his goodbyes and nodded to Alex. With final smiles to each other, both entered the room. The walls shimmered and a bright flash lit the room.

…

Harry blinked against the bright spots in his view until they disappeared. He looked to his right and met the eyes of Remus "Moony" Lupin, finding the slight difference in them that marked him as Moony, not just Remus.

"Anyone in your head, Rem?" Remus shook his head.

"I think we made it back." Harry smiled brightly at his friend before walking out the door. Remus followed, eyebrow raised.

"Where're you going?" Harry called over his shoulder to the older man.

"I have two Slytherins to find!" Laughing, Remus went to inform Dumbledore of their return.

**A/N:** This chapter's done now!! I know, you're all just sighing in absolute relief. So am I. Even though I'm hyper and could quite easily do three rounds of DDR, but I can't, because it's almost 10 and my mom would get really mad at me for doing DDR so late and keeping her awake.

I will now send this to my beautiful beta! You're the best Lerafea!!

comes back next day Okay, now that I finally remembered to attach the file to the email, I'm back! Lerafea has told me that I should take the epilogue and make another chapter for it, with some interaction between Harry and Blaise and Draco when Harry first returns to his universe, as well as some interaction between Ron and Hermione. I'd like your opinions too! Either way, the epilogue will become it's own chapter. And I'll extend it so it's not just 8 or so paragraphs.

**Review Responses:**

**Damon Rhodes-** I can't wait to see how this ends either. D lol, no, I've sort of figured out the end. Like I said in the above A/N, however, I need a little input on what you want to see in the epilogue. I know how you feel with Deletion's Creations—I, for example, have about 15 other stories that have a few paragraphs written and then have nothing more. I was in a werewolf phase for a while, so everybody was being bitten. grins

**Lerafea****-** It's so short because that's 43 pages of my handwriting and it looks longer in the notebook. D lol, no, it's just because I made my chapters long so the amount of chapters are shorter. Does that make any sense? Anyway, you'll get the epilogue whenever I finish it.

**Lord Elrond of Hogwarts- **lol, I don't think it's going to end up with both being posted in the same day—I have to actually think and type up the words now, instead of just copy-type! I know, I can't believe I killed of Sev either! I was so upset when I wrote that. sob Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter too!!

Thank you to my reviewers, and to all/any silent readers out there!! (I can relate with you—I'm a lurker in several fics!) I hope you all liked this chapter as well. Please let me know what you want with the epilogue!

mednar


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